


Melody of Air

by FirstFanGrrl



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Civil War, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, including the resistance, no one is a saint
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-12
Updated: 2018-12-12
Packaged: 2019-09-16 16:06:32
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16957161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FirstFanGrrl/pseuds/FirstFanGrrl
Summary: In which the Deputy takes a step back now and then to actually think shit through and tries to avoid becoming Hope County's errand girl, punches people, saves some dogs and tries not to cry a lot.





	Melody of Air

**Author's Note:**

> This little bunny was hatched because I don't like that the Deputy never did much to try and figure shit out. I know, that wasn't the purpose of the game, but they don't investigate anything- it's mostly a lot of great characters, a good plot, a bunch of fetch quests and so so many unanswered questions.
> 
> LIKE WHO TF LEAVES A HOUSE FULL OF DOGS LOCKED UP TO STARVE TO DEATH ON PURPOSE AND CALLS THEMSELF A GOOD GUY? FUCK YOU
> 
> *Ahem*
> 
> Anyhow, the first chapter's a little slow, mostly because it's the prologue up until the bridge, but it'll speed up a bit after if you can hold out.

Later, Aria will question just what in the hell Burke had been thinking- the whole mission had been a fuck up waiting to happen, from her assignment to it (she had been a part of the department for 2 months, truly a _rookie_ , fresh out of school, burning with the desire to help people, but green behind the ears- there was _no reason_ for him to assign her to the arresting party. She was not physically imposing, had very little experience beyond school, nothing in the field), to the decision not to bring the national guard, or flat out turn it over to them (this whole thing could have turned into a Jonestown repeat, especially once the compound had come into view…speaking of…), and the compound’s size, compared to the small force sent to bring in Joseph Seed, should have been a tip off that this was all going to hell- their intel had said that Eden’s Gate had a steady following, not enough to make a compound of good size, with snarling attack dogs and all of them armed.

But Burke, the fuck, had been itching to prove himself too (had his job been on the line or just a promotion? She’d wonder bitterly later, and had it been worth this shit?), had brushed off Earl’s concerns and marched them in.

They weren’t wanted, and she knew it- the members (she hated calling them Peggies, seemed…dehumanizing) had glared at them, but not approached, muttering to themselves.

(Aria isn’t proud of her addiction to crime television- to the documentaries about serial killers and the youtube specials about crimes that remained unsolved that she would often fall asleep to. Among all of the tasteless garbage that is her guilty pleasure is a fascination for Manson, the People’s Temple, Scientology- how people could fall under the spell of one man with spun words and literally kill and commit any atrocity for him- _we got here early,_ she thought hopefully, _there hasn’t been a massacre, or a mass suicide, or even a standoff- these people can get help)_

The whole thing is surreal, mud squelching under their boots, Hudson side eyeing everyone, shotgun at the ready, Burke holding onto the warrant and his badge like they’ll protect him. Around them Amazing Grace plays over an intercom, and the smell of burning wood and wet dog is everywhere. Aria feels filthy already, can feel dirt that isn’t present under her gloves. The Project isn’t helping with their image- words and mantras carved into the church doors, sins tagged the buildings. There are fucking firepits here and there, and all Aria can think about is the one at home in the burnt-out semi-truck rim resting on stones. These people are not broadcasting stability.

Hudson stays behind making sure no one goes in (though how a single armed deputy would stop a horde of frenzied religious lunatics, Aria had no clue, but Burke has command and pulls rank like a playground thug giving wedgies), and Aria is the only one left, walking behind Whitehorse and Burke as they enter the chapel (church? She wasn’t sure what the distinction was).

The light is…gentle, doesn’t blind her after the dark outside. Dust is in the air, and she makes herself smaller on instinct, seeing just how many people are in the pews listening to Joseph Seed preach on his platform (not a stage).

Shirtless

Scars and tattoos decorate his body, Lust on the front dip of one hip, a crown tatted on his chest, and more that she couldn’t see from a distance.

He throws her off- sets her father off balance. She’d walked in expecting to see one more snake oil salesman, a liar, a conman. Instead they’d found a man that believed his own garbage.

(“Never fuck with a man who’s got religion, Aria.” Her Dad warned once, looking up from his book, “they’ve got nothing to fear, crazy fucks.” She’d rolled her eyes then, but not now)

This man has eyes that glow with the intensity of his beliefs behind his aviators. Were they aviators? She didn’t know, doesn’t care.

He’s intense- everything about him is intense, and as much as she wants to hear what he has to say (just to tell her dad about it later, over the phone) she’s busy taking stock, now that she’s prepared. A little.

There are candles on the platform, lit and burning, but since the floors are wood, is that as much of a safety hazard? Behind ‘The Father’ is a light in the shape of their 8 pointed cross. She wonders how much that cost, and where they got the money for it. It’s a little surreal, seeing TV’s with a bible verse on in the background hung on the wall, in the middle of this rural doomsday cult. On the platform, behind the preacher is another bearded man, but this one has a shirt on. Better, a coat. He’s got his eyes on Seed, but she can’t make out the look on his face.

“Marshal, hold on a minute- “

“No! Fuck this- Joseph Seed, I have a warrant for your arrest, for the suspicion of kidnapping with intent to harm.” Burke calms down half-way through the sentence, taking a deep breath. Seed looks grim, but determined, rigid- pulled from whatever fucking trance he was seeing. “Now I want you to step forward and keep your hands where I can see them.” The congregation is closing in, and Aria has the overwhelming desire to step back or get the fuck out. She does neither, and she does not grab her service weapon, taking her cues from Earl.

Earl Whitehorse was a good man, he went out of his way to be kind, whether it was to her or anyone they had to go see. He did his job, and hell, wore his ridiculous mustache with grace- she respected him. If the Sheriff wasn’t reaching for his gun, neither was she.

She’s expecting a fight from Seed, but he just looks at them, and, slowly and deliberately, raises his hands. There’s a rosary wrapped around his wrist.

“Here they are, the locusts in our garden,” he has a very…interesting voice. His words, although deliberate and articulate, are slurred. Southern accent? “They’ve come for me,” and holy shit they’re making a fucking blockade.

Aria watches on of them bring his shotgun up and struggles not to hyperventilate. Holy shit.

“They’ve come to take me away from you, they’ve come to destroy all that we have built!” Burke backs up and puts a hand on his gun as the congregation gets louder, stirred by the words of their leader, and Whitehorse takes charge, immediately, stepping out of his role as ‘backup’ and into the ‘leader’ role that Burke wants so desperately now.

“Do not- I said, do not touch that service weapon!” He’s yelling at Burke, but Aria’s…sort of between them, staring between them and the mob of angry, sweaty faces. “Hold on! Stand down!” But Burk’s still on the defensive, moved to a position that’ll allow him to fight.

Seed steps off the platform, “put your guns down,” he isn’t shouting but the mob mentality is broken. In the background she sees the one in the coat step closer to the group, but now he’s surveying all of them.

The cultists part for Joseph, who puts hand on their shoulders, and meets their eyes. “We knew this moment would come,” it’s comforting, but more people are stepping out of the shadows in the background, scaring the shit out of her- a man in fatigues with close cropped red hair, arms crossed. A young woman in a white dress with long hair that could have been any shade from honey to brown in the light. “We’ve prepared for it. Go.” He ushered, and hesitantly, the mob did.

“God will not let them take me.”

Burke, Whitehorse and Aria move back, but she sees the way that they eyed her, and didn’t make any sudden moves until the door had shut behind them with an ominous thud.

Joseph Seed’s eyes get that look again, and he starts talking, quoting the bible, “I saw when the lamb opened the first seal and,” he stepped closer to Burke, making him growl ‘step back’, but the man kept talking,  “I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder one of the four beasts saying, 'Come and see.' and I saw, and behold,” he looked at the sheriff, “it was a white horse,” and then his eyes locked with Aria, pinning her in place. “And hell followed with him.” She swallowed as he raised his hands out to be taken in.

(she wonders what it says about her that she knows that passage from Johnny Cash, and fights the urge to laugh hysterically)

“Rook,” Burke snapped, ruining the moment, and she bristled. Arrogant fucker had _no right_ calling her that. “Cuff the son of a bitch.”

If she were a lesser woman, she would have snapped about professionalism in the field. As it was, she maintained hers and approached, placing them on Joseph Seed as gently as she could, not wanting to be charged with brutality or assault later. As she linked his hands behind his back, he said, in a low, hollow voice, “sometimes the best thing to do is walk away.”

 _Don’t I know it._ She thought.

 

* * *

 

 Aria has to walk behind Whitehorse and Burke, one hand on Joseph Seed’s back, the other guiding him by the shoulder. She can feel the heat of his skin through her gloves, wonders absently if he’s ill and should they get him a jacket? It’s cold at night, and it’s no warmer in the helicopter. Lust is carved on his lower back like a tramp stamp- had he done it to himself or had someone done it to him? She doesn’t ask.

She feels exposed, turning her back on the people that remained, the two men and the woman- she wishes, again, that Burke had just swallowed his pride and brought more people on the assignment.

They emerge into the night air, and even before Hudson says anything, she knows shit’s about to go down- a truck (mayo white, an eight-pointed cross painted on the side) blocks off the way they came in, and the speakers are blasting instrumental, holy sounding music now, rather than words. The cult members are all armed, or crying, but she swallows her fear.

 _They can’t take a shot at me, not without risking his life._ She thinks, without compassion, one of those cold, totally self-serving thoughts that she doesn’t like but gets anyway.

“Marshal, take point, we’re going right,” Whitehorse orders gruffly, and not even Burke disagrees, already moving. Whitehorse has his hand on his holster, but he’s trying to seem casual, not threatening.

As they move along, it gets worse, they’re swarming behind her and Seed, some of them crying out for him, begging them not to take him. She notices that some of the cabins have hanging flower pots, or little patches of flowers or vegetables. It’s homey.

They keep walking further ahead, and Seed is just…strolling. Aria doesn’t want to shove him, but she’s getting more and more nerved up that they keep leaving such a gap between them all in such a hostile situation _when she’s the one escorting the guy under arrest, what the fuck?_

“Rookie keep up!” Hudson orders when they round the corner. One of the cultists doesn’t move fast enough and Burke shoves her to the ground, she stays there, and stares up at Aria as she and Seed pass.

“You will burn for this! You cannot take him!” She doesn’t reach out to grab them though, and Aria moves on, feeling sorry for her.

 _They’ll thank us for this later, for breaking the spell,_ she assures herself.

The bonfire on the other side of the fence is a raging inferno now, with no one watching over it. She twinges at that, with it being so close to the compound.

Through the chaos, Seed is composed, not looking at them, but walking on as though nothing is happening.

Someone throws a stone, it connects to the back of Burke’s head, and then they’re all throwing stones. Whitehorse draws his weapon, and, without a choice, she forces Seed to jog forward, not wanting to lag when the tension was frayed like this.

Pratt’s got the chopper started, and she can hear the engine starting and watches the blades begin to go. Hudson, Whitehorse and Burke form a semi-circle around the bird, protecting them as they came through, Hudson climbing in with her to assist getting Seed in. They take their seats and, in the midst of the chaos, Aria has the sense of mind, and pity, to duck forward, practically in the man’s lap, to get his harness buckled, and then buckle her own.

The Peggies are on the chopper, and they have to actively fight them off as Whitehorse and Pratt get the bird in the air, one of them banging on the glass.

Beneath all the screaming and the machinery, Joseph Seed begins to sing.

Aria watches as Burke shoots a man in the face and tries not to be sick as she shoves a woman away, to watch both of their bodies fall to the ground. Another woman, twice as scared and desperate clings to her arm, and Aria tries to pull her in, but she loses her balance and falls too.

“Goddammit Burke!” Whitehorse screams as the marshal finally snaps and turns on Seed, screaming for him to ‘shut the fuck up goddammit! Shut up!’.

Aria sees a Peggie throw himself into the blades of the chopper, feels it give a shudder, and all the alarms begin to go off as the bird drops back to the earth like a stone thrown.

Everyone’s screaming, alarms blare, and in all of it, Joseph Seed, eyes closed, still sings.

They circle as they go down, Burke grips the seat, screaming, and Pratt’s rattling off some kind of flight jargon into the headset. They all lurch as it hits the ground, and Aria’s vision goes black when it does.

 

* * *

 

It’s hot, and Aria’ neck hurts. They’re all upside down, and while her vision swims, she can hear the garbled voice asking, over and over, “Sherriff? Marshal? Are you there?”

Nancy

Nancy could call the National Guard.

She reached towards the mangled headset, dangling tantalizingly in front of her, but a warm hand catches her wrist. Joseph Seed moves into Aria’s vision, his glasses cracked, a little battered bruised, but alive, and looking as smug as a cat.

“I told you he wouldn’t let you take me.” He said softly, like they might wake the others.

The others!

Fuck, oh fuck, Aria strained to look around her, but he cupped her cheek, and she didn’t have the strength to fight him, and her head ached with what was probably a concussion.

 _“I can’t- I need to know what’s going on!”_ Nancy’s crying over the radio, and, without breaking eye contact, Joseph takes the headset.

“Dispatch,” he murmurs (“oh my god,” Nancy whispers), “everything is fine here,” and Aria makes a noise like a wounded animal, “no need to call anyone.” (“yes Father, praise be to you,” and like a good puppet the bitch signs off). He releases the headset and leans in close, like he’s going to kiss her.

Joseph seed smells like dust, sweat and blood, and she realizes that not once has he blinked during the entirety of this exchange. “No one is coming to save you.” And then he climbs out, long limbed and unbothered, hands free she realizes, and how long has she been unconscious?

There are trucks pulling up, and cultists shouting ‘Father’ in joy.

Even before he begins to climb up on the hood of the truck to speak to his flock, Aria begins to struggle, to get the buckles and buttons free. They need to get the fuck out, regroup, get professionals in who can handle all of this.

“…the first seal has been broken, we will kill all those who stand in our way,” Hudson stirs, and Burke is murmuring that they need to get out.

“BEGIN THE REAPING!” Burke gets free and runs, and immediately Aria shuts herself to him- he will not save her, and she has no obligation to save him. Instead she focuses on Hudson, but no sooner is she free that they’re pulling her out, and Pratt and Whitehorse too, and Hudson, infallible, proud, quiet Hudson is screaming for her to go.

So Aria goes, not waiting for the fires to burn her, running into the dark of the woods.

 

* * *

 

Some hours later, and Aria didn’t know how many, and they had dogs out looking for her, and search parties.

Her head was killing her, and the ringing in her ears was almost constant as she ducked through the bushes and behind trees, trying to keep out of sight. She was scared to move, but more scared to stand still. She didn’t know how to hide her scent from dogs, hell she was pretty sure that you couldn’t- water, on top of being noisy, made you easier to scent.

She came across a building with two Peggies, talking in low voices about the “Herald” and the “Reaping”. She waited, catching her breath and listening. Eventually they broke away from each other. Swallowing nervously she gripped the shovel leaning next to the wood pile.

In a quick move she came up behind him and swung, catching him in the side of the head. He went down like a sack of flour. He had a bat on him. That was probably safer. If she had rope that would be better, but she didn’t, so she left him there, took the bat and crept up on the other one. He’d heard the noise, but he rounded the corner, startling the both of them.

Like all the Peggies seemed to be he was long haired and bearded. Possibly trying to imitate Joseph. She didn’t care, but she swung the bat, over and over until he stopped moving. There was blood on it, and she felt sick. But he was breathing, so that was good.

This one had a gun, just a pistol, but it was a start, he even had some ammo. Smart boy came prepared. Also on him was a radio- now that was useful. Tinkering with it a bit, fiddling through the stations she caught the end of a transmission that had her sighing.

“-Burke, I-I’m in a small house, by the river-“ fuck.

Not that she was complaining that Burke was alive. More like ‘fuck’ because if she didn’t report to him then he was just the type of pussy to fucking report her once they were in safety. She pocketed the gun and went out marshal hunting, looking for lights in the trees, keeping a look out for more search parties, but for now the woods were quiet, thankfully. The Montana wilderness is huge, especially out here, and she didn't have much hope for finding him, but by some miracle from hell, she did. What Burke called a house, was actually a double wide. Fucking moron ('maroon' as her Mom would say, scrunching her face up jokingly to lighten the mood). There were cartons of supplies outside, and a truck in the car port, all just sitting there waiting, and Aria busied herself with stocking up, managing to pick up a shotgun too.

Who the hell had left all this here?

She knocked on the door, waited a second and stepped in, only to be manhandled by Burke, shouting unintelligibly like a cave man.

"Rook? Jesus, I'm, I'm sorry, I-"

"Fuck you!" Rook shouted, the expletive bursting from her without warning. Well, sort of. It'd been a long night, and Burke was a fucker, and she was fucking pissed and sore, and he'd fucking  _radioed for help and this was what she got?_ Well, she had gone from totally silent to screaming at him, so maybe it was without warning for him. "You fucking called me here- you gave your fucking location away, dumb fuck- we have to go before they find us!"

"Settle down-"

"Shut the fuck up! You nearly got everyone killed- you abandoned us, fucking coward!" She shoved him off. 

"It was the Seeds-"

"No shit," she climbed to her feet and dusted herself off. "Of course they fucking did this, but you, you made the call not to involve the National Guard.  _YOU_ made the decision that nearly got us killed. Might still get us killed. Hope you can live with that on your conscience." She resisted the urge to spit on him. He looked so dejected, like a kicked dog. It was pathetic.

 While he picked himself up, Aria glanced around. They were in the home of a cultist, by the looks of it. Judging by the insane writing on the walls, the pictures of Joseph Seed and the others from the church. All together. Grouped...

 _Seeds,_ Burke said. She hadn't connected the dots. So they were family.  They didn't look happy in the picture, she noted, just...uncomfortable and trying to seem ethereal. Weird. 

Headlights shone in the window and there was the sound of marching feet. 

"We know you're in there! Come out now!" One of them shouted. There was a loud noise, and Aria ducked down, out of the line of fire. Burke crawled to her, pale, but at least he had his head in the game.

"We need to get out of here," she said, loading the gun. Her hands were shaking, just a little.

"There's, there's a truck," Burke began, and she nodded.

"Get it started, I'll cover you." She pointed away, to the side of the house closer to the car port. He nodded, scuttling away quick.

She didn't trust Burke as far as she could throw him, but she couldn't move fast enough, and she trusted him less with watching her back.

Firefights aren't like TV- they weren't all standing around trying to kill one another, they all kept behind cover mostly, trying to get a shot off when one of them peeked out, with Peggies occasionally risking it by trying to flank her. It cost them their lives, but it gave their cohorts time to try and get to Burke. The truck kept stalling, but the marshal seemed to know what he was doing at least, so she picked them off and made use of the barrels that fucking exploded when shot. The smell of burning flesh was turning her stomach.

Finally the truck roared to life and Burke lurched out, blowing the horn. "Rook!" She didn't wait for him to say it twice, darting into the car while he leaned out the window firing and giving her cover. The truck was moving before she was fully in, but fuck it. She slammed the door shut, buckled her seat belt. Burke tore out of there like a bat out of hell, passed her a first aid kit as they roared down the road.

"Whoo!" He shouted, high off the adrenaline as she bandaged her arm, cut up from the helicopter. "We fucking showed them, huh? Oh yeah, we're out of here, we'll get the National Guard, we'll fix this!" She almost believed him, but then they hit the first road block, a truck on their ass, firing on them. "Rook, there's dynamite in the backseat, use it!" First of all, what the fuck. Second of all, throwing dynamite correctly took a lot more skill than Aria would have ever thought possible, and she would never underestimate...whoever had this particular skillset again, because this was bad.

It seemed that no matter where they turned, more and more cultists were waiting, in trucks or jeeps or even atv's, road blocks and dead ends. Finally, finally they reached the bridge, and the trucks fell back, and just when the knot in Aria's chest was beginning to loosen, the plane closed in.

"Don't tell me they have fucking air support!" Burke shouted, banging his fists on the wheel. It opened fire, but not at them- the bridge. It collapsed under them, and the truck plunged into the icy water. The cold punched the air from her lungs and rattled her bones- as the truck sunk she fought the buckle, and gestured to Burke. He looked at her and then climbed out the broken window, abandoning her  _again_. Bastard.

* * *

 

Her fingers are useless, but she manages to blindly get the belt off, fighting against the current and her own body to get to the surface and air. It's so dark, like tar- why is it so dark? She emerges and gasps, lungs eagerly drinking in the sweet night air as she clambers onto the rocky shore. Her adrenaline's gone, and all she can do is crawl out of the water and turn on her side, catching her breath as her injuries and exhaustion finally catch her. Consciousness is flickering, along with her vision.

In the distance there is struggling, and Burke is buzzing like an insect, squealing "I am a US Marshal! Unhand me! Let me go-" but she can't bring herself to care. They'll find her, and she wants to move, but this is it. A man crouches in her vision, blocking it out, but she's sinking under as he pokes her and glances over his shoulder at the Peggies.

* * *

Joseph Seed is on the radio.

Aria swallowed and tried to move, but her wrists were bound above her head. What exhaustion remained (and there was quite a bit) was shoved on the backburner for this new hell that she found herself in.

If she strained herself, she could remember being carried, and lights, and a doorway.

She glanced around, mind spinning, seeing a man standing before the radio, an american flag pinned to the wall in front of him. An american flag- not a Peggie.

"...for I am your Father, and you are my Children. And together, we will march on Eden's Gate-" The radio shut off with an angry click as the man made a disgusted noise.

"You know what that means?" He asked lowly. Older guy then, judging by the voice. Long time smoker maybe.

"Something bad." Aria ventured flatly.

"Damn straight. Roads are closed." He turned to face her, and he was angry. At her or the situation she didn't know. Probably both if she had to hazard a guess. He approached her, sneering, and sat down in front of her. "Means the phone lines are cut. It means there's no signals gettin' in or out of this valley. But mostly it means we're all fucked." 

"I'm sorry." She said quietly.

It wasn't her fault, but sometimes you had to bite the bullet, right? She could say "I was just doing my job", but that was the excuse of a lot of negligent people over the years. "I was following orders" was just as bad. She wasn't to blame, but she had been there, hadn't spoken up, or against it, not like Earl had. Or Hudson. Even Pratt had ventured a word against it, back at the station. Only and and fucking Nancy had said nothing and  _done their jobs_. Well, one of them was a mole and the other was stuck in a shit storm.

"Goddamn Collapse," the old man muttered bitterly, moving on. She pulled herself back to reality and out of her internal monologue. "They think the whole world's comin' to an end. They been waitin for it. For years, they been waitin for someone to come along and kick off their goddamn holy war." He sighed and passed a hand over his face tiredly. He looked tired. "Well kid, you sure as shit kicked." He rolled his neck and adjusted, the chair squeaking under him. Aria watched him lean closer, and she obligingly leaned back. "Smartest thing I could do is hand you over." Even as he said it though, a look of disgust crossed his face. "Fuck."

Aria held very still as he cut the zipties holding her in one sure move.

"We need to burn your uniform." He said flatly, mind a million miles away, making plans, thinking ahead, more likely than not. " 'some fresh clothes in there. Get changed. See me when you're done. We'll see if we can unfuck this situation any."

Aria decides, then and there, that she kinda likes this old man.

 

**Author's Note:**

> So fun facts about this chapter:
> 
> 1\. Aria has two meanings that I could find, the one you think of, the Italian one that means 'melody', or 'air', but the Hebrew translation means "lioness of God". So I chose it because I think that describes her pretty well; Aria is a rookie, she's soft, and she's scared, but she won't back down from what she thinks is right. Also it kept with the biblical name thing started with the Seeds (even Rachel is biblical, obvi, to say nothing of how heavy handed Faith is)
> 
> 2\. I rewatched the opening of the game and noticed something I hadn't before- that fucking cross behind Joseph on the wall, the one that I thought was a window? It's a light. Someone got a custom light in the shape of the Eden's Gate cross. 3 guesses who (Starts with a "J" and ends with "ohn")
> 
> 4\. My dad was the one to point out the stupidity in 1. bringing a rookie along on something as important as this where so much could go wrong and 2. in letting them not only be the one to guard the guy being arrested, but literally leaving them like, 8 feet behind the rest of the group, could have gone down a lot worse for Dep if they didn't have plot armor for the first bit of the game
> 
> 5\. I always feel bad that no one gets Jo a coat or buckles him in when they get into the helicopter. Both were addressed but one was solved!
> 
> 6\. Aria going from referring to the Sheriff as Earl to Whitehorse was on purpose- when I watched the video again I could see him go from hoping that the Marshal knew what he was doing to stepping in as CO, and Aria's mental way of addressing him reflected that. She doesn't call Hudson and Pratt by their names because she's a little intimidated by them, and she just doesn't like Burke. Much like me.
> 
> 7\. I really did know the bible verse that Joseph was referencing from Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around"- if you haven't listened to it I suggest you do, because he reads a bit from the bible in it, and it's the most somber, chilling thing I've ever heard. Gives me goose bumps every time.
> 
> 8\. I know fuck all about law enforcement and the US Marshals. I really did try to look into it, but for the most part I just kept stuff vague or just expanded on stuff presented by the game. I can only imagine that Burke fucking off and leaving the Dep like he does twice is fucked up in his line of work, but it was extenuating circumstances. I still think he's a bitch though.


End file.
